


Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged

by WhenFandomStrikes



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Case Fic, Deckerstar because I'm trying to keep it in the canon universe, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Maze/Linda if you squint, My take on post season 3 finale, Rating for language and graphic violence, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-06-28 15:56:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenFandomStrikes/pseuds/WhenFandomStrikes
Summary: Chloe has seen his face so Lucifer does what he does best when things get too complicated. He runs.Escaping to the other side of the country, Lucifer finds himself entangled in a terrifying double-homicide caused by a villainous woman who has a mysterious and frightening power that leaves him shaken to his core.There is no way he can manage this on his own, but he knows his friends... his Detective... would never help him, right? He might as well pack it in and go back to Hell where he rightly belongs.





	1. Come On, Get Happy

This was as close to Hell as he could bring himself to go… short of leaving the country altogether. Sure, Lucifer liked living in style and comfort, but he really didn't believe he deserved that at the moment. He deserved the tiny flat he'd rented in the dingiest part of South Boston. He deserved the rubbish clothing and the rubbish liquor and the rubbish looks he got from the neighbours as he climbed up to his bedsit at all hours of the night drunk or high or both. He deserved to be disliked and vilified and seen as a monster.

Because he _was_ a monster.

Honestly, Lucifer had lost his will to really enjoy anything earth had to offer anyway. He'd contemplated going back to Hell many times but couldn't convince himself to flagellate his already bruised heart any further. The damage he'd sustained had already been severe enough.

Not to mention that Maze would literally eviscerate him if he left her behind.

No. Forcing himself to live below his means and wallow in his own pathetic pity party was enough for now. It wasn't like he could escape it. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Chloe. Beautiful, kind, perfect Chloe staring at him in absolute terror as she saw him for what he truly was. The worst part about that moment was that Lucifer didn't even know that he had changed. He had been so relieved that everything was finally over, for Cain to be dead and for Sinnerman to be but a memory, that he could only smile when he saw his detective safe. It was only when he raised his hand to reach for her that he realised that everything had gone horribly wrong.

Lucifer had to admit that Chloe was still amazing in the face of the Devil. She didn't run. She didn't scream. She just stood there, much like Linda had done, and stared at him in stoic horror, whispering only a few words before falling silent. He didn't stay to see the fallout. He didn't want to see his Detective break. Even though it was excruciating, Lucifer used his broken wings to get the out of there before the Detective could blink.

Lucifer believed it was all for the best, really. She didn't deserve the burden of him any longer. He had been far too selfish to believe that any sort of relationship would work between them. 

Far too stupid as well.

So he left.

Of course, Lucifer didn't leave like he had before when he ran off to Las Vegas. This time he had contingency plans in place. 

Lux would still continue to run smoothly because he'd left his manager, Patrick, with instructions on how to keep the business open in the boss's absence.

He'd stated to Linda, clearly, that he was going to go away for a while to distance himself from the mess he'd made. She didn't agree with him, but she rarely did, so that was nothing new. She even tried to talk him out of leaving. He made sure that his bank account delivered a monthly payment of services to the good doctor regardless of his being there to partake in her advice. She deserved it.

Maze was still on thin ice as far as Lucifer was concerned, but he would not outright ghost her. Their companionship was far too old to cast aside, no matter how cruel and misguided Mazikeen had been. They'd be okay eventually, once all of the pain had passed. They were immortal and knew well enough that time could heal all wounds… most of them, anyway. So he sent her a text that was short and to the point.

_You are not a consolation prize. You have not been forgotten. -L_

He then turned off his phone and left it on the bar of his penthouse. He'd reach out to Mazikeen properly when he wasn't ready to strangle her.

Lucifer had also returned to the precinct to give a statement on the death of Lt. Marcus Pierce. The department wanted the case closed quickly so they easily took his words of self-defence as truth. Much to his surprise, Chloe had backed him up in her own statement, though he made sure to carefully coordinate his appearance at the police station with her absence. She didn't need to be faced with him after everything she'd been through.

Before he left, Lucifer placed a CD with a bow attached on Ella's work station in the lab. It was of the Christian rock band _Skillet_ and it had a note taped to the back that simply read: _Not all of Dad's followers write like whiney teens. Enjoy, Miss Lopez._

On Daniel's desk, he left a book titled _Puddin': Luscious and Unforgettable Puddings, Parfaits, Pudding Cakes, Pies, and Pops_ by Clio Goodman and Adeena Sussman _._ There was a post-it note stuck on it that said: _Broaden your horizons. Don't get poisoned. -L_

Finally, he wrote a letter to the police captain that had stepped in to deal with the fallout of Pierce's corruption. The letter detailed Lucifer's resignation as a consultant for the LAPD and thanked the department for their acceptance. It also lauded Chloe Decker as the most resourceful, brilliant, and competent detective that he could have ever had the honour of working with. He made two copies and left one on Chloe's desk along with a small, homemade, chocolate cake with the name _Beatrice_ written on it in white frosting. It was the best he could do in ways of goodbye. He was never really good at those anyway.

That had been two months ago.

Having a pair of wings certainly made leaving easier and made tracking him even more difficult. No plane tickets to find, no paper trail to follow. He had been careful to take only his cash reserves and not use his credit cards or access his bank accounts remotely. He had a few stashes outside of Los Angeles and, though he considered going abroad for his escape, he decided that financing a proper passport with a new identity wouldn't be worth his time or money so he ended up just fleeing to the other side of the country. Not even Mazikeen would be able to track him.

Which led Lucifer to sitting on a bench in Boston Common at midnight drinking from a bottle Jack Daniels wrapped in a brown paper bag. As per usual, he would have to guzzle the whiskey to maintain any sort of buzz and this was his third bottle in less that two hours. Being even remotely close to drunk was infinitely better than being sober. Being sober made his memories clearer. Being sober made his chest hurt.

Once he was finished, Lucifer binned the bag and started his slightly inebriated trek back to his flat. It was about a forty-minute walk if he maintained a good speed, but he felt like meandering tonight. There were a couple of drug-dealers that he felt needed to be paid a visit. Oxycodone seemed like the right choice this evening. Once he hit up a few suppliers (because they all got suspicious if he bought them out of their supply), he proceeded to blow through three eight-balls of oxy in a matter of minutes in an dark alleyway, revelling in the delicious high he received with the mix of alcohol.

"See what I've become?" Lucifer said, his eyes turned glassily to the sky as he smiled ruefully. "I can fall even farther than Hell. Guess that wasn't surprising to you though, huh?"

Of course, nobody answered him, but Lucifer felt a little bit better for the attempt at guilt-tripping his father.

Scoffing softly, Lucifer began to stumble his way home. He had almost made it inside when he heard a now familiar voice from behind him.

"So, how fucked up are we tonight, Sam?" 

The question made Lucifer roll his eyes and curse his stupid self for using something so close to his given name on his new ID. 

_Samuel Apollyon_. Dreadful.

_Lucifer Morningstar_ was far too conspicuous a name and one trip to Google would have outed him as a billionaire philanthropist and former LAPD consultant in moments… but still… he felt foolish and slightly angry anytime someone called him _Sam_. At least it wasn't _Samael_ and he did loath lying.

Lucifer turned to come face-to-face with Detective Kevin O'Keefe. He actually reminded Lucifer of Daniel… after he'd become not a douche. Kevin was a good cop who just didn't have good luck. His wife had contracted some rare disease a few years ago and the medical bills had put Kevin in such debt that, when the woman had eventually passed, he was left destitute. It was just another story that proved to Lucifer that his Dad didn't give a crap about his little humans at all and just let the good ones suffer for the entertainment of it. Prick. And somehow, Kevin remained positive throughout it all which made Lucifer like him even more. 

_Screw you, Dad. You tried to dim this man's joy and he only shined through it. Take that, you bastard._

"Not nearly enough, as usual." Lucifer offhandedly responded as he gave his best attempt at a winning grin. It lacked all of it's usual lustre, the shine having worn off weeks ago. "You're not going to arrest me for public intoxication, are you _officer_?"

Lucifer's tone was flirtatious, but there wasn't any real charm put behind it. It was just to ensure he was likeable enough not to be cuffed and thrown in a drunk tank.

"Have you at least eaten today?" Kevin asked, waving Lucifer towards the entrance to the dodgy old apartment complex. They both began walking and Lucifer even held the door for the detective as they went in. 

"My friend Jack and I had a picnic on the Common. Good times." Lucifer grinned and Kevin only shook his head.

The detective stopped to check his mailbox while Lucifer continued on, stumbling up the stairs because the damned lift had been broken for months. As he turned the corner, Lucifer came upon Happy talking to a couple of thug-like characters that tended to frequent this building of unfortunate peoples.

Happy was aptly named. The kid was always in good spirits and Lucifer could swear that, in the two months he'd been here, he'd only seen the kid frown once. Happy was a runner for a local Irish gang, but he was a decent enough chap. Lucifer had even tried to talk him into leaving his "boys" to find a better life elsewhere, but Happy was… well… _happy_ with his life. Even if it meant he lived in a shitty flat with even shittier flatmates at age seventeen. Apparently the youth had even just finished a short stint in prison for possession and he still continued to smile.

Lucifer caught a glimpse of a gun sticking out of the back of Happy's waistband and he rolled his eyes. Honestly, could this kid get any dumber? He lived a floor away from a police detective, for crying out loud.

"Don't put your gun there, boy." Lucifer murmured conspiratorially as he came up behind Happy. "What if it goes off? Better gangsters than you have lost buttocks, you know. And at least have the decency to hide it properly. Untuck your shirt, you berk."

"Oh, hey Mr. A!" Happy exclaimed, quickly pulling at his shirt to hide the gun. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right, well, at least tell me the safety is on." Lucifer chuckled and, at the blank look Happy gave him, Lucifer deadpanned, "You did put the safety on, right?"

Another blank look had Lucifer rolling his eyes again. He feared they'd get permanently stuck up there at this rate.

"Oh, give it here." Before the kid could protest, Lucifer removed the gun from Happy's trousers, showed him the little switch designated _safety, and_ clicked it into the _on_ position before handing it back to the kid. "There. Now your buns will remain on your body."

"Thanks, Mr. A." Happy smiled and Lucifer couldn't stay miffed. The young man was radiating too much genuine glee… he was too much like Miss Lopez.

"Get a decent holster for it." Lucifer commanded.

"A decent holster for what?" Came Kevin's voice as he came around the corner with a handful of mail. "Do I have to cart you back in, Happy? Because I really don't want to go back to work just yet."

"Oh, no, Detective O'Keefe. It's all good." Happy exclaimed before disappearing into his apartment with his buddies. They knew better than to hang around with a cop right there, at least.

"Do I want to know?" Kevin asked and Lucifer shook his head.

"Definitely not." Lucifer smiled before continuing his trek up the stairs. He and the detective lived on the same floor, so Kevin followed behind, every now and then placing a hand on Lucifer's back when the inebriated man stumbled a bit.

"You know, how about you come have some coffee and a sandwich? I make a mean reuben." Kevin said, giving Lucifer a hopeful expression.

Lucifer was sure that the detective thought him to be the resident addict and, though that may not be far off the mark, addiction wasn't exactly a problem for the fallen angel. As much as he didn't like being coddled, Lucifer also wasn't looking forward to being alone in his single bedroom flat with his thoughts. And even though he was as straight as an iron arrow, Kevin was a handsome bloke, so a little harmless flirting might put Lucifer in a better mood.

"I suppose, if you insist." Lucifer said, shrugging one shoulder and allowing Kevin to pass him on their floor to lead on to the detective's own apartment, number 212.

"I do. I know it's late, but you look like you could at least use the coffee." Kevin smiled as he opened the door and ushered Lucifer in. "And I could use the company. It's been a long week."

"Rough day at the office?" Lucifer asked as he took a seat at the small breakfast table at the edge of Kevin's tiny kitchen.

"You have no idea. I'm sure you've seen the news. Rash of suicides hits South Boston?" Kevin said as he clicked on the kettle and pulled out his coffee press. "It's been seven people so far. I mean, they weren't _good_ people, per se, but they were still people, you know? It's like Dexter meets Sherlock out here and none of us know what to make of it."

"You know, I heard once that a fresh pair of eyes can help break a case," Lucifer said offhandedly, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie. "Are the victims connected at all?"

"Not that we can find." Kevin said as he moved about his kitchen procuring ingredients for the suggested reuben. "They all died differently, in different parts of South Boston, one if 'em even crossed over into Telegraph Hill."

"So there is _nothing_ that links them at all?" Lucifer asked, raising a brow.

"Well, there is one thing, but we've investigated that angle to the point where we've beat the horse to a pulp, if you know what I mean." Kevin said with a sigh before eyeing Lucifer critically. "You sure you weren't a cop in a past life?"

"I've dabbled." Lucifer said casually before gesturing for the detective to continue. "So they were connected?"

"Well, they're all criminals. But the weird thing is that they're all criminals who got off of their last charges." Kevin explained. "But it was all for different reasons. Juries hung, cops made mistakes, eyewitnesses disappearing…"

"So, they are all bad guys who were caught dead-to-rights only to make it off scott free without punishment due to minor technicalities?" Lucifer asked, frowning softly.

"Essentially, yeah." The detective sighed. "So they get a get-out-of-jail-free card and then take their own lives? It doesn't make any sense. What makes more sense is someone is knocking them off and making it _look_ like suicide."

"Sounds to me like someone is doing the world a favour." Lucifer said darkly and Kevin stopped his movements to stare at the addled man for a moment.

"Okay, you're high off your tits, so I'm going to let that slide." Kevin said before returning to his food preparation. "They may be bad people, but they are still people."

"So you've said." Lucifer replied, his mind wandering to all of those horrible malcontents that he and _his_ Detective put away. Or put in the ground. Like Malcolm, or Cain…

"Well, enough shop talk. Here." Kevin interrupted Lucifer's train of though to proffer a warm sandwich and a hot cup of black coffee before sitting across from him at the breakfast table. "What about you? What brought you to the states? Certainly not the Jack Daniels or the cocaine."

"Ha! No. Definitely not." Lucifer chuckled and shook his head. "I originally came here on holiday a while ago and just… never left. I used to live in LA."

"Los Angeles? Really? Why did you leave? I hear the weather is amazing. It freaking sucks here." Kevin smiled before sipping his own coffee. "Unless you _enjoy_ six months of winter."

"I don't think I'll remain in Boston permanently." Lucifer said, playing with his mug a bit before deigning to take a sip himself. His high was wearing off anyway, so caffeine would be enough of a buzz for now. "I'll probably head back eventually. I just… I needed to get away."

"You're not wanted out there or anything, are you?" Kevin asked and the question hit Lucifer hard. He knew that the detective was asking if he had any warrants out for his arrest, but the wording felt far more personal.

"No. I'm most assuredly not _wanted_ out there at all." Lucifer sighed before deciding he had enough of talking about his own life. He used his sandwich as an excuse to remain quiet and the two fell into a companionable silence while they ate.

Once the meal was done, Lucifer cleared his throat and shook his head. There was no escaping his dark thoughts tonight. He didn't even feel like flirting anymore. What a waste.

"I think it's time I take my leave." Lucifer said as he stood up, watching as Kevin cleared the plates and put them in the sink. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Hang on, now." Kevin said before turning to Lucifer and squinting up at the other man's face. "Yeah, alright. Your pupils aren't the size of dinner plates anymore, so I guess it's safe for you to go."

"Ahh, so this was all just a ruse to sober me up, was it?" Lucifer chuckled, knowing that getting him sober was only half the reason Kevin had invited him in. He knew he had sort of a recluse reputation among his neighbours and never attempted to correct the idea.

"Drat. You saw through my clever ruse." Kevin laughed as well. "You going to be alright to get to your place?"

"Will I be alright to walk the ten or so meters to my own flat?" Lucifer smiled. "Yeah, I think I will be able to manage such a great feat."

"Alright, alright. I get it." Kevin said, raising his hands in a jovial display of defeat. "Thank you for coming by and here…"

Kevin turned to open a drawer by the sink which looked to be a catchall for random papers and such. He rummaged a bit before pulling out a business card and handing it to Lucifer.

"Don't take offence, alright, but you seem like a pretty decent guy." Kevin said with a warm, almost disarming smile. "A guy worth at least an attempt at saving."

Lucifer looked down at the card and couldn't help but smirk. It was for a drug counsellor.

"You know I'm not actually an addict, right?" Lucifer said and Kevin shook his head.

"You know I've heard that line too many times to count, right?" The detective responded, his smile taking on a softer, sad tone.

"Touché." Lucifer nodded. "I appreciate the forethought. Goodnight, Kevin."

"Goodnight, Sam." Kevin said and showed Lucifer to the door.

Lucifer stood in the hallway for a long moment staring at the card. He didn't need it. He wasn't anything along the lines of a real human addict, but perhaps he should seek some counselling. He hadn't been to see Linda in months and perhaps that was taking its toll on his overall wellbeing. Granted, he'd survived hundreds of thousands years without seeking professional advice for his problems. What were a few months?

Sighing, Lucifer pocketed the card and headed down the hall to his apartment, number 221. His was the last in the hall of second floor with 222 just across. Slipping his key in the lock, he opened the door and stepped into the darkness of his kitchenette. Kevin's kitchen had been a little larger, the man having a two-bedroom apartment as opposed to the bedsit Lucifer rented. He told himself he didn't even deserve the luxury. The would-be studio was just fine for his needs at the moment. Dropping his keys and the business card into the small bowl he kept on the counter, he moved to turn on the lights. Before he could make it to the switch, a warm, aged voice broke the silence, actually managing to startle him.

"Hello, detective."

Whipping his head around in the dark, Lucifer frowned when he saw the silhouette of a woman sitting on his beaten-up sofa. He flicked the switch and bathed the kitchen in light, casting a warm glow on the face of a woman that Lucifer didn't recognise in the slightest.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, his eyes growing dark and his mouth forming a deep scowl. "Because you must be really stupid if you think breaking into _my_ flat was a good idea."

"You're not even American. That will make this so much sweeter." The woman said as she stood. Something was tingling in the back of Lucifer's mind, but he pushed it aside to gape at the audacity of this stupid human who dared to encroach on the Devil's territory.

"I'm not even human, which is what you should be more concerned with." Lucifer growled. "So I ask again, who the bloody hell are you?

"I'm your reckoning." The woman said, taking a step towards Lucifer. He didn't balk and, instead, took his own step forward. 

"Is that right?" Lucifer sneered. "Come to dance with the devil, have you?"

"So lovely that you already known what a great sin you are." The woman grinned and moved closer.

The tingling in the back of Lucifer's mind turned into something of an itch which gave him pause. He tilted his head as if trying to scratch his brain which gave him a slightly tweaked appearance.

"I was going to make this last, but maybe I'll just get it over with." The woman spoke, breaking Lucifer's attention away from the itch and forcing him to focus on her. "Now, tell me, detective. _Where is you gun?_ "

The words washed over Lucifer like a wave and he had to blink a moment to reorient himself. Something wasn't right. He had felt almost _compelled_ to answer her which didn't make any sense.

"I don't have a gun." Lucifer eventually responded, causing the woman to frown at him.

"Don't play coy with me. _Where is your gun?_ " She asked again and Lucifer's stomach rolled slightly as he once again felt the weight of her words.

"How are you… what have… did you drug me or something?" He asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. It couldn't be the drugs. He was sober and nothing could penetrate his immortal flesh, at least, not without his Detective nearby. He squinted at the woman and took a small step back. "What… are you?"

"Come on now, detective, _you know you want to tell me_." The woman smiled and it was at that moment Lucifer realised what was happening.

Was this what it felt like when he asked people their desires? It was almost like a fog was trying to cover over his mind and force him to answer the woman without any choice of his own.

"I'm not a detective." Lucifer said calmly, trying his best to focus. This was wholly bizarre and completely unprecedented. Though, Lucifer had to admit to himself that the feeling was also quite novel. "Are you a witch, or something? A demon? No. Not a demon. A demon would have no power over me. And you're definitely no angel. I'd know one of my siblings if they barged into my home uninvited."

"What are you talking about?" The woman said, her voice reflecting her clear irritation. "Just _tell me where your gun is._ "

"Oh, for Dad's sake, I don't have a gun, you insane bint." Lucifer growled, this time putting a bit of his own power behind the words. "And I'm not a bloody detective."

"You're not Kevin O'Keefe?" The woman asked and Lucifer scoffed.

"No, you nutter. You've got the wrong flat. Though I'm glad you did." Lucifer said, now resuming his stalking forward towards the strange woman. "Kevin happens to be an acquaintance of mine and I'd rather you not use your rather interesting powers on him. I have a feeling you're not interested in his wellbeing."

"You'd be right, but now you're just in my way." The woman said before waving her hand. " _You don't want to get in my way. You're tired. I can feel the darkness in you. You don't want to be here anymore."_

Something shifted and Lucifer felt a deep despair sweep through him. For a moment, he actually believed the woman's words and his mind flickered to the thought of possibly ending his holiday entirely and just going back to Hell where he rightly belonged.

"How…? _How?"_ Lucifer growled, no longer finding this novel or interesting anymore. Somehow, this woman was wielding a power so dangerously close to his own and it actually affected him. It wasn't possible. He moved forward in three long strides and gripped the woman by the lapels of her crisp suit.

"How are you doing this? Tell me." He demanded, his eyes narrowing on her. "Tell me, little witch. _What do you desire?"_

The woman, for all her worth, wilted when Lucifer grabbed her and paled the moment he finished speaking.

"This isn't possible. Nobody can resist me…" She whimpered and Lucifer gripped her jacket tighter.

"Well, no _human_ , I'm sure. Now answer my question." Lucifer hissed. " _What do you want more than anything?"_

"I… I want… no… how… no…" The woman shook her head before roughly shoving Lucifer away with a strength that surprised him, even more than her resistance, before whispering in horror, "What are you?"

Before Lucifer could even come up with anything either witty or threatening to reply, a heavy knock came at his door.

"Sam? You still up?" It was Kevin. "Seems like I got some of your mail again. You would think people would be able to figure out the difference between 212 and 221, but alas, not so much."

The woman's eyes went wide before she slowly began to smile. Kevin had promptly explained her mistake and outed himself in a ridiculous turn of fate.

" _You want to die._ " She said to Lucifer in a stern tone that was clearly the full force of whatever power it was she was using. He felt it. He felt it deep. It shook him to his core and he felt the depression he had been trying to escape blanket him in a moment of pure hopelessness. He saw flashes of Chloe's terror. Of Linda's fear. Of Beatrice's tears. Of Maze's hatred. It all crashed down on him so abruptly that he swayed on his feet.

"Sam?" Kevin's voice came again, but this time it felt like a benediction. For the first time in eons, he had never been so thankful to hear his own name uttered in such a concerned manner. It could have been one of his brothers behind that door checking in on him after one of his spats with Michael.

In a moment of pure adrenaline, Lucifer spun on his heels and whipped open the door to a very startled detective only to quickly grab his arm in a vice grip and pull him hurriedly down the hallway.

"What the f— Sam! What are you doing?" Kevin exclaimed, unable to pull away from Lucifer's supernatural grip.

"I know who is killing your criminals, but we have to get away from here _right now_." Lucifer said sternly, practically dragging Kevin in a full sprint down the hall, the detective trying to wiggle free the entire way.

"Are you high again? Sam, you can't keep doing this to yourself." Kevin said, failing miserably at getting Lucifer to let go.

Lucifer quickly pulled Kevin down the central stairway, not even looking back to see if the witch was following. Was she a witch? Who knew? She was definitely _something_ , though.

"I am _not_ high, though I wish I was. Someone is here to kill you. We need to get out of here. She is, and I can't bloody _believe_ I'm going to say this, she is too powerful for me and I can't protect you here." Lucifer shouted over his shoulder. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

"Shit, are you serious, man?" Kevin exclaimed as he nearly tripped down the stairs.

Lucifer stopped abruptly and turned to face the man in tow without releasing him.

"Look, there isn't a lot of time to explain, but I will say this. You were right-on earlier. I was a police consultant for the LAPD. I left because I had a falling out with my partner." Lucifer said quickly. That was the simple version of the story, but they honestly didn't have the time to explain everything in detail. "Lucifer Morningstar. That is my name. You can Google it when we are somewhere safe, alright?"

"A-alright." Kevin nodded, clearly confused but trusting Lucifer at least this much. With a quick check over Kevin's shoulder, Lucifer pulled the man further down the stairs only to collide head-on with Happy.

"Holy shit, Mr. A! Where's the fire?" Happy exclaimed, still bloody smiling.

"There's a woman here trying to kill Detective O'Keefe. Now _move_." Lucifer said, bodily pushing Happy out of the way.

"Woah, well, if you need a ride, I have a car." Happy said, looking over Kevin for a moment. "I know we aren't usually on the same side, but you're a good guy. You don't deserve to die, man."

_Oh, Happy_. Lucifer thought. _How did you get into such a mess of a life with all that kindness in your heart?_

"That would be helpful." Lucifer nodded.

"Coolio. Follow me." Happy said and the three men took off down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. At least Kevin was following willingly now.

They ran outside to follow Happy around the block to darkened street. The street lamps flickered here and there, but most of the pavement was cast in shadow. Happy led them to a beat-up looking Honda that had certainly seen better days, but Lucifer had decided long ago that beggars couldn't be choosers when escape was the priority. Happy fumbled around in his satchel before pulling out a set of keys.

"Kevin O'Keefe!" It was the woman and she was running towards them. Lucifer could already feel the weight of her power flowing out of her and it seemed to affect Happy and Kevin as well. Happy's hands began to shake and he dropped his keys onto the sidewalk.

"Bloody hell!" Lucifer exclaimed and moved to quickly try to retrieve them.

"A broken cop, a druggie, and a gangbanger. It's my lucky day." The woman said as she approached them. Her face was shielded in darkness and she had the air of a predator on the hunt. Lucifer did not like feeling hunted _at all_.

"Bugger off, Sybil!" Lucifer growled as he pawed around in the darkness for the keys.

"Oh no. I think I'll take the turkey." Said the woman and Lucifer felt himself grow colder. This wasn't good. If her power affected him like this, what did it do to the humans with him? Glancing up, he found his answer.

Happy had taken out the gun he'd kept in his waistband and the click of the safety was nearly deafening.

"No…" Lucifer breathed, but the woman spoke over any other protests he might have had.

"That's right. You're nothing but a gangbanger. _You don't deserve to live. You're a waste of space. A disappointment. Do it._ " She hissed and before Lucifer could stop him, Happy raised the gun to his chin and pulled the trigger.

It felt as if Amenadiel himself had shown up and slowed the moment down in time. Lucifer felt the splash of blood hit his cheek and watched Happy… sweet, kind, joyful Happy… fall to the ground with a resounding thud.

"NO!" Lucifer exclaimed and the world sped back to life. He reached out to check the boy's pulse and found nothing. Anger burned within him and he turned to look up at the woman. "Why!? Why would you do that!? Happy was good! Misguided, but good!"

"Oh my God…" Whispered Kevin who was frozen in horror and probably despair.

"Happy?" The woman asked before stopping her approach and taking a stuttered breath. Then, to Lucifer's bafflement, the woman looked at the boy on the ground and it seemed like something in her broke. "RICKY!"

The woman ran over and dropped to her knees at the sight of the young boy, pulling him close and pressing his face to her chest.

"No, no, no, no…Ricky, my poor baby…" She whimpered and Lucifer watched in shock as the woman started to cry. She sobbed for a good minute before her eyes turned hard and she glared up at Kevin. "You! YOU DID THIS!"

"W-what? I don't… I don't understand." Kevin said in a feeble tone. "I don't…"

"You! You were the one who arrested my baby! You got him sent to jail! YOU!" The woman screamed before another wave of pain and darkness rolled off her. Lucifer nearly fell off his knees and had to reach out for the car to steady himself. " _You, Kevin O'Keefe, have nothing left to live for. Your wife is dead and you are left penniless and alone. You want death. You want it."_

Lucifer felt the sorrow in those words as if it were his own. He blinked furiously to try and gather himself, but the moment he took his hand off the Honda, he nearly collapsed, so he held stilled and took a deep breath to try to gain some control.

"Don't listen to her, Kevin. You're stronger that that." Lucifer said, though his voice shook as he spoke. "You've lived through so much. You've shown so much bravery in the face of adversity. Don't listen to her."

" _You want to die, detective. You've got nothing left._ " The woman hissed. 

"I've got nothing left." Kevin said as tears sprung from his eyes. "Ana is gone. I lost everything when she died."

" _That's right_. _You lost everything. Just end it all."_ The woman said, her voice turning sickeningly sweet.

"I should…" Kevin said as he fell to his knees and slowly began reaching for the gun that Happy had dropped.

"No! No, Kevin! She's wrong!" Lucifer cried, but Kevin already had the gun in his hand.

" _You've got nothing left. You want to die._ " The woman said.

"I want to die." Kevin echoed and raised the gun to his temple.

"Shut up, you bitch!" Lucifer shouted and tried to reach out and swipe at her. He almost immediately lost his balance and fell flat on the pavement. "Kevin! Don't listen! Don't—!"

The second shot felt like it had hit Lucifer square in the chest. Kevin fell to the ground and Lucifer screamed, his eyes flashing fiery red as he reached for the gun. He didn't know what else to do, so he weakly pointed it at the murdering witch.

"WHY!?" He bellowed, tears he didn't know he was crying flowing over his cheeks. " _WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!?_ "

"It's your turn, Sam." The woman responded, standing up to glare down at Lucifer. "A deadbeat junkie like you, you're next. _Your heart is full of darkness. You're nothing. A monster. You don't want to live anymore."_

With her attention fully focussed on him, Lucifer felt the hand holding the gun begin to shake asthe woman's power washed over him. The flashes of memory returned and all he could see was Chloe looking at him an abject fear. The horror in her beautiful blue eyes haunting him and, before he knew it, he had the cold steel of the gun pressed against the space just above his right ear.

" _That's it. Just give up. It's not worth living anymore. Let go."_ The woman cooed and Lucifer tried, tried so hard, to gain focus, to ignore the power in this woman's voice.

The shot echoed in the darkness.

Lucifer blinked and everything came quickly back into focus. He was still holding the gun and it was still pressed against his head, but there was no blood. No brain matter. No death. Because of _course_ there wasn't. He was immortal. He was the Devil.

"What the hell…" The woman said, now completely awestruck. 

Lucifer took a few breaths and pulled the gun away from his head with a shaky hand before slowly turning back on the witch who had destroyed two lives before his eyes.

"I am not the monster here. _You_ are." Lucifer said as his eyes flashed red once more. "You never answered my question, vile woman. _What do you desire?_ "

"For every lowlife in the world to die." The woman said, clearly so dumbstruck that she couldn't resist Lucifer's charms any longer. "How… what are you?"

"I need ask you the same thing." Lucifer said before the sounds of sirens in the distance startled the woman out of her shock. She quickly turned on her heels and ran, Lucifer unable to muster up the strength to follow after her. He fell back onto the kerb and let out a deep breath as the deep wave of despair slowly blissfully dissipated.

The sirens drew closer as he eventually managed to get up from the ground. Of course, a bloodied man standing over two bodies while holding a gun didn't make the best of impressions on the cops that arrived on the scene and Lucifer suddenly found four guns pointed at him with voices shouting.

"Drop your weapon!" One of the officers commanded and Lucifer did so immediately.

* * *

 

"Uh, guys…" Said Ella, interrupting Tribe night with a glance at her phone. "You know how I said I'd set up a Google alert for Lucifer?"

"Yeah. So?" Maze growled before knocking back her fifth shot of vodka. "It's been two months. He's probably getting it on with porn stars in Aspen or something. Who gives a shit what that asshat is up to?"

"I do." Linda said while giving Chloe a knowing look.

"You might want to take a look at this." Ella said. "Not porn stars. Would have really liked it to be porn stars."

"What is it?" Chloe asked, her voice slightly concerned. 

Ella looked stricken as she turned her phone so that Linda, Chloe, and Maze could see the headline.

**_Billionaire Playboy Arrested in Boston for Murder of Cop and Judge's Son_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF! What a long-ass, dark-as-fuck introductory chapter, huh? It's been a while since I've been in the writer's seat and I honestly think it's been long overdue. I didn't want to do a "Chloe Reacts" fic since I'm pretty sure the fandom has covered that theme from all angles and all the plot bunnies I've had in my head haven't really come to fruition.
> 
> This fic has me so excited.
> 
> This was inspired by a dream I had last night. No joke. I woke up and booted up my computer to quickly write out what the dream had been about in a stream-of-consciousness-like mess. I literally have the whole plot. I even already know the ending, which has only happened once (in Our Love Is God). And no, the naming of the Dan-like Boston detective "Kevin" was not because of Kevin Alejandro. I didn't even notice that until I was formatting this post. But it is kinda funny.
> 
> Don't worry, #TeamLucifer is going to swoop in and help save the day. Of course, we're also going to see what I think everyone's reactions to him bailing are going to be... and Chloe's reactions to him being the Devil, but this is mostly just going to be an epic story with some supernatural elements to keep us (mainly me) satiated until Netflix drops that sweet, sweet (and hopefully darker) season four.
> 
> I was nervous about writing swears into the dialogue, but Tom posted a picture of a cock-sock (a small pouch-like device that is used by male actors to cover their genitals during nude scenes) on his insta today, so I think it's safe to say I can have everyone canonically swearing and shit. LOL!
> 
> Love you guys and hopefully I'll be able to pump out the next chapter soon! I think I can manage the whole thing in 5 chapters, but that may change. As always, your comments and con-crits give me LIFE! So please let me know what you think! <3


	2. Murder is Murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer reminisces about the past what could possibly have become of his fallen friends.

Lucifer sat on this throne with his elbow perched on the armrest to support his head while his other hand slowly carded through his wings to try and get the ash from between his feathers. He was completely exhausted. It had taken centuries, _more_ than centuries in infernal time, but he had finally gotten Hell into some semblance of order.

When he'd first arrived, it had been utter chaos. Demons were hunting and torturing souls without any rhyme or reason. There had been varying degrees of punishments being handed out without any form of value or process. Some souls that deserved far worse than they were given had somehow managed to slip between the cracks and avoided consequence altogether. 

Hell had been a mess. But Lucifer, once he'd healed from his fall, managed to fight off the rioting demons and get most of them to fall in line. It really was a nuisance having to defend himself all the time. The Lilim Mazikeen had been integral to cementing himself as the unwilling king of the realm. She spoke the infernal language and managed to teach it to him easily. She was also incredibly skilled as a fighter. For her service in putting him on the throne, he made her his right hand and gifted her a pair of knives forged in the fires of Hell, made from his own feathers.

After that, he got to the _real_ work. For hundreds of thousands of years, he wrought the bowels of Hell with his own will, bending and shaping it to his desires. No longer would souls just wander about to be tortured on a whim. Everyone was given their own personal prison and Lucifer made it so that Hell would create a world just for the soul within each cage, fashioned from their own deepest, darkest fears and regrets.

Naturally, some souls required a bit more precision and that was when the Devil would send Mazikeen and her elite unit of torturers. Or, if he was feeling so inclined, Lucifer himself would deign to treat their unique guests with his own personal touch.

It was one of these unique situations that led Mazikeen to enter the throne room with a sour look on her face.

"We have a problem." She said, growling softly and looking for more irritated than usual.

"Oh? A problem?" Lucifer said, his brow quirking and a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Besides the constant heat and the unseemly amount of ash pouring from the sky?"

"That is all your fault and no, that's not what I mean." Mazikeen said with a roll of her eyes. Normally, Lucifer wouldn't let one of his demons speak to him in such a manner, but the years he'd spent with Mazikeen by his side, at his back, and between his sheets, had led him to tolerate her occasional insubordinate tone.

"Well, do elaborate, Maze. It's not like I've got a kingdom to run or anything." Lucifer sniffed and waved his hand at her before plucking at the sleeves of his robes.

"There is a soul who's room is inappropriate to their sins." Maze said cooly and Lucifer perked up. He always enjoyed meeting new and complex degenerates. They always made for a good time and forced Lucifer to think outside of the box. Only a few decades ago did he meet humanity's first serial killer. That man had been incredibly fun to play with.

"Show me." Lucifer grinned, his eyes flashing red before he stood, tucked away his wings, and gestured for Mazikeen to lead the way.

As they walked, demons scurried about and out of the way, not wanting to get underfoot of the Devil. He was their King and he'd also proven that, even though he'd fallen, he was still a terrifyingly powerful archangel. No one dared to cross him anymore. Well, there was an occasional uprising every hundred years or so, but they were all dispatched quickly enough. Lucifer rather enjoyed the challenge every now and then. It kept him on his toes.

"So what is so wrong about this soul's chamber?" Lucifer asked.

"You have to see it. I don't really understand what's going on." Maze said, which wasn't much of an explanation, but it did pique Lucifer's curiosity even more.

Eventually, they arrived at a door that bore no locks or chains. Most of the doors didn't. Souls kept themselves locked away within their own guilt and Lucifer had never seen anyone walk away from a torture of their own making. It was a delicious irony that he was incredibly proud of having thought of. Let the mortals abuse themselves but have the option to walk away from their self-inflicted pain if they could find it in themselves to forgive their own sins. It was genius.

Maze touched the handle and opened the door to reveal the interior of a small, worn-down hut. More of a hovel, really. She held the door open and bowed her head as Lucifer passed her. There really wasn't much to see in the room besides a hand-carved, wooden table and some pottery for washing and cooking.

"What, exactly, am I looking at, Mazikeen?" Lucifer sighed, not seeing anything unusual. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Humans had come far in their evolution, but not much had changed since he'd last popped up to the mortal plane for a visit.

"Through there." Maze said, pointing to a small entryway that led to what Lucifer assumed to be the bedchambers. Shrugging, he stepped through it and found he was right. There was a line of washing and a small fire burning the in hearth to light and warm the room. In the corner was a pitiable straw bed and, curled up atop it, was a small girl whimpering softly to herself. She had dark hair and dark eyes with warm, caramel-coloured skin.

"Imma!" A voice shouted from behind both Lucifer and Maze, causing them both to spin and poke their heads of the bedroom. A tall, tan-skinned, angry-looking man stood in the doorway to the hut. Lucifer could smell the sweet tinge of spirits wafting off him. "Where are you, girl?"

Lucifer recognised the language as Sumerian which led him to conclude that this was a reproduction of somewhere in Mesopotamia.

"He comes in here and hurts her." Maze whispered, her sharp eyes on the man who felt it necessary to growl and throw a pot, shattering the clay against the wall. "It happens over and over. He comes in, shouts abuse, beats her, and forces himself upon her."

"And this is his Hell?" Lucifer scowled, shaking his head. "That's not right. He should be the one being tortured, not doing the torturing himself. You were correct. Something's off."

" _He's_ not the soul." Maze said, shaking her head sombrely before turning and nodding towards the bed. "She is."

"What!?" Lucifer exclaimed, causing the girl on the bed to shriek and pull her knees closer to her chest. It was then that he saw the young girl watching him in Maze in terror. _She_ was the soul being tortured? But she was so… small… "How old is she?"

"Nearly ten winters." Maze said and Lucifer balked at the thought. 

_Ten winters_? She was only a _child_. This was entirely unprecedented. There were no _children_ in Hell.

"What is her sin?" Lucifer asked, now completely fascinated and also slightly weary. Children weren't to be trusted if they found their way into Hell.

"I don't know." Maze replied.

"You don't know?" Lucifer asked only to be interrupted by the angry man barging into the room. 

"Imma!" The man shouted.

"Begone!" Lucifer said in a cold, commanding tone as he spun around to wave his hand causing the man to disappear in a puff of smoke. Sighing and shaking his head, Lucifer turned back to Maze. "Now, as I was saying, since when do humans show up down here without sin? This has _never_ happened."

"And now you see why I came to you." Mazikeen nodded, clearly just as confused by the situation as her king.

"I just didn't want papa to hurt me anymore." Both Maze and Lucifer turned to see the little girl, her eyes wide and puffy from crying, watching them in awe. "I thought that if I went into forever sleep like my mother, he wouldn't be able to hurt me."

"Papa? Forever sleep?" Lucifer prompted, tilting his head in curiosity while something dark twisted in his chest.

"I ate the bad berries from the nightmare bush." The girl said. "I wanted to go to mother. Father said it was my fault she went into the forever sleep. I just want to see her again."

"You poisoned… yourself?" Maze asked, looking dumbfounded. "You can do that?"

"Oh, I see…" Lucifer said in a soft whisper while shaking his head before muttering mostly to himself. "Father, you really are a bastard."

"I don't get it." Maze said and Lucifer sighed before giving her a sad look.

"Murder is murder, even if it's of oneself." Lucifer explained before gesturing to the girl. "There are very few rules that my father insists humans follow. Honestly, he should just have them write them down or something. At least the ones that he insists are set in stone. Killing a human is one of them. It's really one of the only rules that even I follow."

"So she is down here because she killed herself?" Maze asked, shaking her head. "That's ridiculous. She didn't harm anyone else."

"And from what it looks like, she was tortured in life only to find herself tortured in death as well." Lucifer said thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No, that doesn't seem fitting to me at all."

Clearing his throat, Lucifer waved his hands and the world around them dissolved, leaving only Maze, himself, and the girl on the straw bed.

"Imma, is it?" He asked, speaking softly to the girl who openly gaped at the Devil and demon. Imma slowly nodded, but didn't move an inch. "It's alright now. Both your father and mine won't hurt you any longer."

"What are you going to do?" Maze asked and Lucifer gave a shrug.

"I have no idea. But she doesn't belong in here, that's for sure. Gather her." Lucifer said, gesturing towards the girl. Maze looked confused for a moment before she shrugged and stalked towards the girl.

Imma squealed in fear and tried to pull away.

"Gently, Mazikeen." Lucifer admonished, shaking his head.

Sighing, Maze held out her hand and waited for Imma to take it. The girl looked at the demon's open palm, clearly weighing her options before realising she had little choice in the matter.

"Where will you take me?" Imma asked, clearly still very afraid, but taking Maze's hand and letting the demon slowly pull her up off the bed.

"You are in Hell, child." Lucifer said softly. "There aren't many places to go."

"Can you take me to my mother?" Imma asked, her voice betraying a bit of hope. This man had made the world vanish. He was clearly a powerful god.

"What is her name?" Lucifer asked, curious to see if perhaps this child's mother had sinned enough to find herself in Hell as well.

"Inanna of the Fields." Imma said, her voice growing even stronger as Lucifer led her and Mazikeen back through the chamber door into the halls of Hell.

"No. She is not here." Lucifer said knowingly. "She has most likely retuned to the mortal realm in another life cycle."

"I don't understand." Imma said, her eyes darting around the halls curiously while she occasionally brushed ash from her hair. Seconds later, Imma froze and she tried to pull away from Mazikeen. "Is that what you're going to do to me? Send me back?"

Sighing, Lucifer turned to look at the frightened girl and shook his head.

"No. You are to remain here forever." Lucifer said with a touch of coldness in his voice. "Because my father deemed it a mortal sin to take one's own life, apparently. Even if it's for good reason."

"So, I'll never see my mother again?" Imma said, her voice growing soft as tears sprung to her eyes once more.

"I'm afraid so, little one." Lucifer said. "Humans got some of it right. There is an afterlife. For instance, you are in what your people call Irkalla. Others call it the Ganzir, Arali, or Kigal, but we just call it Hell. It's a place where those who have lived evil lives go to receive eternal punishment."

"I've lived an evil life?" Imma asked, now crying steadily.

"No, child, and that is the problem. My father, you call him Anu, decided that you have no choice but to come here because you took your own life." Lucifer explained, trying not to grit his teeth as he took the time to exposit to this human spawn. "But I find that to be an unfair judgement, so I've decided to find a more appropriate place for you."

"If Anu is your father, who are you?" Imma asked, her crying dying down to soft sniffles.

"Oh, I go by many names." Lucifer said with a shrug. "You probably know me as Gugalanna. Others have called me Kali or Mara, but I prefer Lucifer. I am the lord of this realm."

"And it'll do you good to remember that, little human." Maze said in a warning tone.

"Easy, Maze. Remember, she is innocent." Lucifer said calmly before turning to resume his walk. "Now, what to do with you…"

Maze tugged on Imma's hand and the girl began walking alongside the demon once more. The trip remained silent for a long time before Lucifer stopped and turned to look down at the little girl.

"Tell me, small one," He began before leaning down so that he could look in the girl's eyes. "What do you desire?"

"You're not going to seriously indulge her, are you?" Maze asked and Lucifer quickly shushed his demon before refocussing on the girl.

"It's alright. You can tell me." Lucifer purred softly.

"I want… my mother." Imma said and Lucifer sighed.

"Well, that cannot be done, so give me something else." He said, keeping his eyes on her. "What else could you possibly yearn for."

There was a long beat of silence and Lucifer felt that perhaps it would not be so easy, but eventually the girl spoke again.

"Peace." She said, her eyes growing wet yet again. "I just want to be at peace."

Lucifer blinked at that. Peace was not something found in Hell. Not even for him. How on earth could he manage it for this tiny creature.

"I'll… think about it." He said, standing back up to his full height before turning around to continue walking. "There is barely joy to be found here among the denizens, so I find it difficult to think peace for a mere soul like you is achievable."

"I find the screams of the river of souls pretty peaceful." Maze offered.

"I don't think that will suffice, Maze." Lucifer said, rolling his eyes.

"I like the acacia trees. They always made me feel better when I sat beneath them." Imma added in a soft whisper. "And the flowers are pretty."

"There are no trees in Hell." Lucifer said in a clipped tone. "And definitely no flowers."

"But there could be." Imma said and that caused Lucifer to stop short and turn to look down at the girl.

"Excuse me?" He asked. "What do you mean?"

"There could be." Imma explained, pulling closer to Maze for some reason. "You're the god of Irkalla. You can do anything. So why don't you make trees?"

"I am not a _god_." Lucifer growled and his eyes flared red, causing the girl to squeak and dart behind Maze.

"Now who needs to be gentle?" Maze asked, giving Lucifer a rebellious smirk.

Sighing and running a hand through his curls, Lucifer closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. Once he'd reigned in his temper, he spoke again.

"My apologies, little spawn. It was not my intention to frighten you." Lucifer said and, when Imma poked her head out from around Maze's hip, he continued. "Hell is a desolate, barren wasteland. Nothing can grown here. So, no trees. No flowers."

"That's too bad." Imma said softly. "I like trees."

"Me too, child." Lucifer said. "I used to favour sleeping in the gardens of the Silver City in my youth. I even helped create some of it."

"What's a Silver City?" Imma asked.

"Arallu, little one." Maze said and the little girl nodded.

"But, if you helped create the divine gardens of Arallu, why can't you do that here?" Imma asked, looking back up at Lucifer.

"Because I can't." He said sharply.

"But why?" Imma insisted causing Lucifer to scoff.

"Because I…" He stopped mid-sentence as a thought occurred to him. No, he couldn't create life down here. Hell was filled with nothing but death and ruin. But what if he _used_  life for another purpose? "You may be onto something, child. Maze, carry her. We're going to fly from here."

Without any need of further explanation, Maze scooped the girl up into her arms just as Lucifer's wings burst forth. The girl didn't have time to do anything else but gasp in shock before Lucifer reached out, touched Maze's shoulder, and the whole world changed. There was a whoosh of wind and suddenly they were standing in what seemed like an endless desert of stone. The planes of nothingness went on for what seemed like forever. Imma could just barely make out the labyrinth of hallways and doors on the horizon, a mere speck in the distance.

"W-where are we?" imma asked as Maze put her down.

"We are in the outer reaches." Lucifer said, gesturing around them as he folded his wings away. "As you can see, there is nothing here. Just endless nothingness as far as the eye can see."

"I can see the labyrinth. And is that a tower? Do you live there?" Imma asked, clearly more amazed than afraid now.

"Hush, child. Stop asking so many questions." Lucifer said as he turned to look down at her. "We're here for you."

"For me?" Imma said, clearly not following.

"You said you want to be at peace. I believe I can grant you that peace." Lucifer explained. "But I will not do anything against your will. You will have to choose. As far as fates go, this one isn't too terrible."

"What do I have to do?" Imma asked, sidling back up to Maze.

"I will make you a deal. I will give you the peace you so desire if you do me a favour in return." Lucifer explained and, when he saw the girl's eyes flicker with hope, he continued. "You say that you love trees and flowers. I will transform you into a tree… an acacia tree. And not a tiny one, but a great one. You will feel no pain and you will finally be able to rest. How does that sound?"

"That doesn't sound too bad." Imma said, pulling away from Maze slightly. "But what would a powerful creature like you need from me if I am a tree?"

"Ah, you will seat your roots deep into the ground and grow them through the depths of Hell creating a piece of land that will be yours command. You will listen through those roots for words of disloyalty and you will report your findings to me." Lucifer said as he paced around the empty area and pointed at the chambers of Hell in the distance. "I will visit you from time to time to hear your words."

"But I'll be left alone otherwise?" Imma asked and Lucifer nodded.

"Yes." He said, but then another thought occurred to him. "But I doubt you will be the last innocent soul who finds their way into my realm in this manner. It seems like my father has a steadfast rule against taking one's own life. So, as an additional part of my bargain, you will take charge of all those lost souls who are banished here. Whenever I find an innocent soul who has taken their own life to find relief from the pains of the mortal realm, I will bring them to you. You will be the centre. The heart of this eventual Forest of the Lost."

"That… that is a lot of responsibility." Imma said, her mouth hanging open. "I… I don't know if I can be strong enough for anyone else."

"The fact that you question your strength only shows me that you will be quite capable." Lucifer said with a firm nod before holding out his hand. "So, Imma, daughter of Inanna of the Fields, do we have a deal?"

Imma stared at Lucifer's hand for a long moment before nodding once and taking it.

"Excellent. Then so it shall be." Lucifer said.

There was a small burst of light where their hands touched before it began spreading up the girl's arm and down her body. Her feet slowly began to sink into the stone of the ground and her skin began to change. Lucifer released her and he and Maze took a few steps back as Imma began to shift and morph. Her arms grew and split, beginning to form massive branches, while her body elongated upwards to bloat out into a thick trunk of bark. Minutes later, Mazikeen and Lucifer stood beneath the branches or a large acacia tree, its canopy shielding them from the ever-falling ash that rained down from Hell's dark, reddened sky.

"Rest well, Imma. May you find peace." Lucifer said softly before turning to Maze, unfurling his wings, and flying them back to his tower.

"I still don't understand why humans insist that you are evil." Mazikeen said as Lucifer resumed his seat on his throne. "I also don't understand why you helped that little human."

"It's not your place to question my decisions, Mazikeen." Lucifer said sternly before he added in a softer tone, "But the punishment must fit the sin and she barely lived long enough to be cast aside. Now she will be at peace and her information will be useful to us. It's an ideal arrangement."

"Of course. You're right, as always, my lord." Maze said, taking her place beside Lucifer's throne.

"I'm always right, Maze." Lucifer grinned and Maze snorted.

"Not _always._ " Maze chuckled and Lucifer glared at her. Before he could scold her, the doors to the audience chamber burst open and a man stumbled in with a gaping wound on the side of his head.

"Sam! Sam, help me!" Screamed the man.

Lucifer immediately stood and his eyes burned red before his whole visage shifted to that of the devil.

"Who are you!?" Lucifer demanded, his voice booming as the man stumbled towards the throne. "And how _dare you_ call me by _that name_!?"

"Sam, please!?" Screamed the man. "Sam! Make her stop!"

Lucifer was about to shout again when something struck him. This man was familiar to him. But how?

"Sam, make her stop! Please!?" The man bellowed and then he suddenly had a gun.

"No…" Lucifer hissed and it all came crashing down on him. "Kevin…"

"Make her stop!" Kevin screamed. "MAKE HER STOP!"

* * *

Lucifer jolted awake, his breath caught in his throat and his heart hammering in his chest. He blinked rapidly and looked around to find that he was thankfully not in Hell. Not that where he actually sat was any better. Casting a dark look over at the bars of his cell, Lucifer remember recalled that happened the previous day.

He was in jail. He'd been caught holding the smoking gun… literally. That strange woman had used her unusual and frightening power to force innocent people to commit suicide and Lucifer had be powerless to stop her.

Well, appropriately reminiscent dream was appropriate.

Now Kevin and Happy were trees in the Forest of the Lost while Lucifer was left with gunshot residue on his hands in the colour of their blood.

Lucifer tried to use the thought of the forest to make himself feel a least slightly better about the loss of his newly-found friends. At least he had implemented something in Hell that was _good_ and those who deserved something that wasn't the torture of the infernal realm had a place to find peace. It didn't help his current situation, but it did make him feel a teensy bit relieved.

Kevin and Happy would be safe with Imma. She always took very good care of her forest.

"Morningstar!" Spat the police officer on duty outside the cells before banging his flashlight on the bars with a jarring clang that set Lucifer's teeth on edge. "Somehow, you made bail. But I guess a rich asshole like you doesn't have to worry much about money, do ya?"

The Boston police department had been the complete opposite of the LAPD. In Los Angeles, he was a consultant, a team member. He was treated as a compatriot and a colleague... even by officers he never worked with. But here, he was only known as a cop-killer. He had been vilified from the moment they found him standing next to Kevin's body.

"Well, it wasn't my money that paid the million-dollar bail, I can assure you." Lucifer groaned.

"Actually, it kinda was." Came the chipper and, in Lucifer's eyes, angelic voice of Ella Lopez. She rounded the corner and gave Lucifer a big smile. "Hey, big guy. Sorry, but we had to use one of Lux's business accounts to get you outta here."

"Miss Lopez!" Lucifer exclaimed as the police officer unlocked his cell and slid the door open. "I have never, in my life, been so happy to see a woman as attractive as you knowing full well that I'm not going to have sex with you later."

"Uh, thanks…" Ella said, her smile going a bit funny before she shook her head. "How about we get the heck out of here, huh? Dan's got your personal effects that they took off you"

"Daniel? Daniel came with you?" Lucifer asked, completely gobsmacked.

"Yeah, dude. And Chloe's out by the car, though I should warn you, she's still pretty pissed at you for bailing on us like that." Ella said cheerfully enough before darting forward and wrapping her arms around Lucifer's middle in a tight hug. For once, Lucifer was too shocked to do anything but hug her back. "But I can't stay mad at you, man. Betcha you've been needin' one of these, huh?"

"The… The Detective came, too?" Lucifer whispered, unable to believe it. Not only had Daniel and Miss Lopez come to help him, but _Chloe_ had come as well? Why? She did remember who he was, didn't she?

"Of course! You really think your partner is going to let you rot in jail on some trumped up charge?" Ella said, earning a glare from the officer on duty.

"He shot a cop, lady." The man growled.

" _Allegedly_ , bro. Did you all _see_ him shoot that kid and that cop? No? Well, then shut you pie-hole." Ella said, her eyes darkening before she looped her arm in the crook of Lucifer's elbow and pulled him along. "Come on, buddy. Let's go."

Lucifer couldn't bring himself to speak. He was just too amazed that words completely failed him.

As promised, Dan was waiting just outside in the lobby holding a brown paper bag with Lucifer's name, his fake one, written on the side in black magic marker. Even he smiled when he looked up at Lucifer.

"Wow, man. You look like shit." Dan said, handing Lucifer the paper bag. "Here's your stuff. So, Samual, huh?"

"It wasn't my finest choice." Lucifer said, scrunching up his nose. He never thought he'd be so grateful to say goodbye to his Boston identity.

"Nah, I like it. You seem more like a Sam to me." Dan said offhandedly and Lucifer tensed. Ellas was still holding his arm and she looked up at him with concern in her eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Shall we be on our way then?" Lucifer asked, his jaw clenched.

"Yeah, Chloe's with the car. Let's go." Dan nodded and then started to head out. 

As they walked, Lucifer noted that every cop in the precinct was glaring at him. A detective actually stepped in front of him to stop his forward momentum.

"When Kev wakes up, we're going to put you away forever, fuckwad." The man snarled and Dan stepped in between the two of them to hold his hands up in a gesture of calm.

"Alright, man, chill out." Dan said before pointing to his own, LAPD-issue badge. "We're cops too and he's one of ours. I know you're pissed about your buddy. I would be too, but Lucifer didn't do this. So why don't you just let this go, alright? You all have a killer to catch, yeah?"

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm looking at him right now." The Boston detective growled.

It was then that something the grizzled man had said clicked in Lucifer's brain.

"Wait… you said _when Kev wakes up_. What do you mean when he wakes up? He's not… He's not dead?" Lucifer asked, a glimmer of hope fluttering in his chest. The cop, on the other hand, took his hope as the complete opposite.

"That's right, freak. You left a witness." The detective said. "And when Kevin pulls through, he's going to make sure you never see the light of day again."

"I can assure you detective–" Lucifer paused to look over at the desk the man had been sitting at before he purposefully got up to get in Lucifer's way. "Detective Whitehall, that I am absolutely elated to hear that detective O'Keefe survived."

"Don't you _dare_ say his name, murderer!" Whitehall barked before making a move to enter Lucifer's personal space. This time, Ella stepped forward, releasing Lucifer's arm and holding up a tiny hand.

"Okay, okay. Let's all calm down. We are leaving and I'm sure you all have work to do." Ella said before quickly latching back onto Lucifer's elbow and pulling him along. "Come on, Luce, let's go. Dan?"

"Right behind you." Dan said, glaring at Whitehall before catching up with Lucifer and Ella as they exited the building.

The moment Lucifer stepped outside, he saw her. Chloe was standing beside a black SUV, her hair pulled up in a ponytail and a scowl plastered firmly on her face.

Lucifer thought she'd never looked so beautiful.

As they approached the car, a smile threatened to pull at Lucifer's mouth. He knew better to show how happy he was to see his Detective. He had no right to smile at her. Not after everything. So instead, he took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly as possible.

"Hello, detec–" 

_SMACK!_

Before he could finish, Chloe slapped the words clean out of his mouth, causing him to cup his cheek and look down at her with borderline fear in his eyes. After so many weeks feeling little more than an itch, the pain was a searing heat on his skin that made his cheek feel like it had literally just caught fire. Both Dan and Ella winced in sympathy, but knew better than to say anything.

Chloe glared, her eyes hard as steel as she looked up at Lucifer. He really should have expected it, but Lucifer had been so happy to see Chloe that he really didn't think about what her reaction to seeing _him_ might be. Dropping his hand from his face, Lucifer nodded.

"Right. I'm sor–"

_SMACK!_

The second slap came just as swiftly and was just as much of a shock as the first, only more painful as it added to the flame on his face. Lucifer hand was back on his cheek and he openly gaped at Chloe.

"Not. Another. Word." Chloe said in short, clipped terms. If Lucifer didn't know any better, he would have sworn her eyes looked slightly wet. "Shut up and get in the car."

Chloe quickly spun on her heels and stomped to the other side of the vehicle while Dan silently climbed into the passenger seat.

"I did warn ya, dude." Ella sighed with an empathetic smile. "She's pissed."

"Rightfully so, Miss Lopez." Lucifer said, rubbing the feeling back into his abused cheek. "Rightfully so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW! Another HUGE chapter. I know that a good chunk of it isn't really part of the main story, but it's partially a plot-bunny/headcanon that I've been meaning to get out for a while and I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I really like the idea that Lucifer truly is just in his decisions when it comes to punishment in Hell and I think he would do something like create a place where those unfortunate people who are mentally ill or tortured in life can find a haven in even the pit.
> 
> Maze blaming Lucifer for Hell being hot and ashy is actually a reference to another flashback in my previous fic Domini Canis (which you should toootally read, btw) where Lucifer, upon first arriving in Hell, found it cold and dark so he tried to light stars and cast them into the sky only to have them fall and turn the landscape molten.
> 
> I promise we'll get into the meat of the case in the next chapter! I'm so glad #TeamLucifer is together, even if Chloe is BULLSHIT at Lucifer.
> 
> As always, I wanna hear what you guys think, so hit me with those comments! I'm really looking forward to writing more of this! Love your faces! <3


	3. Show Me Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe finally get's Lucifer alone to express exactly how she's been feeling.

The car ride was completely silent. It wasn't just that nobody spoke. The tension in the air was enough to keep everyone from making small talk. But the radio remained off and the high-end rental had an interior that cancelled out the noise from the outside traffic making the tone of the drive even more foreboding.

Lucifer fidgeted next to Ella who kept giving him sympathetic glances as Chloe drove methodically towards wherever they were going. Looking out the window, Lucifer realised they were leaving the city.

"You're not staying in Boston?" He asked softly, leaning closer to Ella so that his hushed voice didn't disturb the silence too much.

"Not all of us are rich jackasses that can afford to run off at a moments notice." Chloe sniped from the front in a cold, nasty voice that made Lucifer wince.

Ella looked over at him and mouthed the words " _Sorry, dude"_ and gave him what she clearly hoped was a cheery grin. It didn't help. Lucifer didn't speak again until they were pulling up to a run-down motel in a city called Quincy. Chloe pulled up to the rooms easily and parked the car before giving Dan a hard look. 

"Isn't this place delightful." He muttered and Chloe gave him one of the dirtiest (and not in the fun way) looks he'd ever received from her through the rearview mirror.

"Come on, man. I'll show you where we're staying." Dan offered, also smiling at Lucifer in the same way Ella continued to. It was like they pitied him. Honestly, Lucifer didn't think he deserved pity at all. Chloe was right to treat him like that arsehole he was.

Everyone got out of the car. Chloe and Ella moved to one side, Ella unlocking a door and stepping inside with the detective while Dan led Lucifer to the adjoining room.

"This place is rancid." Lucifer said, scrunching up his nose as he stepped inside, unable to hold back his distaste. Sure, his own measly flat was just this side of a dump, but he kept it immaculate. His siblings always used to tease him about how clean he was, but he preferred it. Order made chaos that much more beautiful.

"Yeah, well, like Chloe said, we didn't really have a lot of money to shell out to get here." Dan shrugged, moving towards the bed closest to the door.

"I'm surprised you came at all." Lucifer said, mostly to himself as he padded over to the atrociously-coloured mattress on the far end of the room.

"Of course we came." Dan said with a sigh. "You're one of us. Even if you did run off with little more than a goodbye."

"I left you all notes. And gifts." Lucifer said and Dan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah. That went over like a lead balloon, man. Ella was frantic thinking you going to off yourself or something. If it wasn't for Linda, I think we all would have jumped to that conclusion. You're notes seemed rather final. I mean, you even resigned from the precinct, for God's sake."

Lucifer winced at his father's name, but didn't comment and instead nodded.

"I wasn't planning on returning to police work, though the plan wasn't to stay here indefinitely either. I would have eventually made my way back to Los Angeles. When I was ready." Lucifer provided, shuffling back and forth on his feet in indecision as he tried to choose whether or not to continue standing or dare the horrible bed.

"What happened, man? After Pierce, you just… vanished." Dan sighed, moving about the room before choosing to make coffee at the complimentary coffee machine. "Chloe was… weird about it. Angry. But also really weird. I know you two… have a thing…"

It was clear that Dan didn't really want to go into details about what that _thing_ might be, but Lucifer was quick to correct him.

"There is no _thing_ , Daniel. That's over." Lucifer said, finally making up his mind and sitting down on the lumpy, old mattress.

"Oh." Dan said, turning to look at Lucifer's downcast eyes and grim expression. "That's why you left, then? Chloe broke up with you?"

"We were never together." Lucifer said and Dan scoffed softly.

"Oh please. You were together." Dan said, shaking his head. "Head-over-heels together."

"No. It wasn't like that." Lucifer said, his eyes lifting so that he could look Daniel in the eyes. "Whatever it was, it never came to fruition. I… I screwed up. As always."

"Alright, man. Look. I know Chloe." Dan said, crossing his arms across his chest. "If she didn't care, she wouldn't be as royally pissed off at you as she is right now. And, _oh man_ , is she pissed. She nearly broke Ella's phone when she found out you'd been in Boston all this time."

"I still don't understand why she came. She… she's seen… well, she has every right to hate me. You and Miss Lopez make far more sense than she and even _you_ being here is a bloody mystery." Lucifer said, his eyes sweeping over the other man quizzically.

"You're my friend. Of course I was going to come." Dan smiled and shrugged as he turned to pick up the molten lava that was supposed to be coffee and handed the cup to Lucifer. "At least, I _think_ we're friends."

"For now, I believe." Lucifer said, his face growling melancholy again. However long it would last before Chloe told them about the monster that moved amongst them.

"What did you do that could be that bad, huh?" Dan asked. Lucifer took a breath, not sure how to answer before a loud knocking came at the door.

Dan opened it to reveal Ella beaming up at him.

"So, Chloe wants to do a powwow to figure out exactly what's going on and how Lucifer is involved." She provided. "I'm going to order pizza for lunch."

"Yeah, okay. We'll be right there." Dan nodded as Ella bounded back off next door. Dan then turned and gave Lucifer a small smirk. "Ready to face the music?"

"Not at all." Lucifer sighed, sipping his coffee and grimacing. "Bloody hell… maybe I should just drink this and put myself out of my own misery."

"That's the spirit." Dan laughed before heading out the door. "Come on, man."

* * *

Chloe was pacing in her room when Dan and Lucifer arrived. She watched with hawk-eyes as Lucifer shuffled his way over to the bed that Ella was seated on. The lab tech was talking animatedly on the phone ordering the promised pizza. Dan sat in a chair by the door and waited. Once Ella hung up, the tension in the room shifted immediately and all eyes focussed on Chloe. All except Lucifer's. He really couldn't bring himself to look at her just yet.

Eventually, eyes followed her line of sight to stare at Lucifer who was trying his best to make himself as small as possible. He had never felt so out of place and anxious since he was called into his father's throne room for a proper scolding. Chloe gave off the same disappointment as God himself in her posture.

"So." Chloe began, her voice cutting like a knife through the air. "Did you kill those people?"

"Chloe…" Ella gasped and Dan could only stare bug-eyed at his ex-wife.

"What?" Lucifer responded, finally looking up at Chloe with abject horror written all over his face. "No. Of course I didn't. They were… they were my friends."

"You're friends. A cop and the son of a judge. So, moving your little operation to Boston then?" She asked, the words as hot as any of the fire pits of Hell.

"No. No, it wasn't like that. We were neighbours." Lucifer said, not really understanding why Chloe was so angry about who he spent his time with while in exile from the one place he really wanted to be.

"How did they die, then?" Chloe asked, her tone not softening in the least.

"They… they shot themselves." Lucifer said, his mind already flashing back to the awful image of Kevin and Happy. Without consciously realising it, Lucifer reached up to his face to touch the spot where Happy's blood had spattered his cheek. They'd allowed him to wash up after he'd been processed at the Boston precinct, but he could still feel the flecks of warmth as if they were still there.

"How?" Chloe demanded and Lucifer blinked out of his memories to look up at everyone.

With a soft sigh, he then began to recount what had happened the evening before. He told them about how he lived down the hall from Detective O'Keefe and how they'd made a shaky friendship. He left out all the drug abuse and boozing. He figured that wouldn't really sit well with everyone at present.

He then told them about Happy, the drug runner, and how he was always so cheerful and friendly, which is how they became acquainted.

"He reminded me a lot of you, Miss Lopez. Always seeing the brighter side." Lucifer commented and Ella reached over to give his elbow a soft squeeze.

Lucifer then told them about the strange woman who had broken into his flat looking for Kevin. He didn't describe the weird feelings, what with being in mixed company. Chloe might understand the strangeness of it all, knowing he was the Devil and what he was capable of, but Daniel and Miss Lopez would probably chalk up his explanations to delusions or to shock of seeing two people killed in front of him. 

That made explaining the rest of the story to them difficult.

"So, the woman shot them?" Dan asked and Lucifer shook his head.

"No. She spoke to them and they shot themselves." Lucifer explain. "I know it doesn't make much sense, but that is what happened. Father's honest truth."

"There's more to this, isn't there?" Chloe asked, her voice still stern, but her eyes held something else in them. It took a moment, but Lucifer realised that she was implying she knew more than everyone else. "Something more… unusual?"

She clearly chose the words carefully and it dawned on Lucifer that she was trying to ask him if this was a _Devil_ thing.

"Yes. But I don't know how to explain it at present." Lucifer said softly, hoping Chloe would follow.

"Alright. Fine." Chloe nodded once before looking at Ella and Dan. "Ella, you go back to the Boston precinct and see if we can use some interdepartmental friendliness to get ahold of the case file. Maybe you can talk to the crime techs and see what they have? Dan, you can go to the apartment complex where everything went down. Canvass the area, but don't make it too obvious. We don't want to piss off the BDP more than this idiot already has." 

Both Ella and Dan nodded in understanding.

"After we eat, I'll sit with Lucifer and get more details about what happened with our mystery woman." Chloe added, given Lucifer a dark, angry look. It was clear she had words for him that she didn't want to share with the rest of the group and Lucifer felt the pit of his stomach drop. He really didn't want to have her shout abuse at him. He already knew how she felt.

"Sounds like we have a plan." Dan said with a nod before looking over at the frightened man sitting next to Ella. "Lucifer, you should probably procure yourself a lawyer. You're going to need one."

"I already have one. I just have make a call and she'll fly out here as soon as possible." Lucifer confirmed and Chloe scoffed.

"Of course she will." Chloe said. "Made a deal, did she?"

"No, actually. I just have her on retainer." Lucifer said softly, looking throughly berated by such a simple statement.

Ella and Dan exchanged glances. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Pizza had been eaten, though Lucifer only really pecked at his. He wasn't remotely hungry. He could practically feel his bones vibrating every time he tried to chew and eventually cast his slice aside.

Once everyone was satisfied, Dan stood.

"Alright, I'm going to go check out your place. You got a key?" Dan asked and Lucifer nodded. 

"It's in the personal effects bag they gave me at the station." Lucifer said. With a nod, Dan let himself out to go fetch the keys and call a cab back to south Boston. The tension rose slightly as one member left. When Ella stood up, Lucifer felt like he might vomit.

"I'll head back to the BPD. I'm sure I can nerd talk my way through some of the techs." Ella smiled before patting Lucifer on the shoulder. "Don't worry, bug guy. We've got your back."

Lucifer gave her a weak smile as Ella trotted off, grabbing her bag and heading out the door to leave him alone with Chloe.

This was it. The moment of truth and Lucifer took the deepest breath imaginable to fight down the wave of nausea that washed over him.

Chloe stood silent, leaning against the dresser that held an outdated TV and the coffeemaker. She watched Lucifer for a long moment and Lucifer wasn't sure if she was going to yell at him or shoot him. Which led him to be utterly shocked when she took a few steps and sat down on the bed adjacent from the one he was perched on.

"Why?" She asked, her voice still stoney, but calm. Calm was actually worse. Lucifer could feel the disappointment radiating off her and he didn't know if she was about to explode or if she would just dismiss him like he meant nothing to her at all.

"You're going to have to be more specific, Detec–" Lucifer began, but Chloe cut him off quickly.

"Why did you leave?" She asked, her tone sharpening.

"You know why." Lucifer provided and Chloe practically growled.

"No. I don't. Because a _normal_ person would have stuck around to _at least_ answer a few fucking questions after dropping the universe's biggest bomb on someone." Chloe hissed. "You just left me to deal with… with… _YOU_. And _everything._ And you weren't even around for to help me understand it all."

"I…" Lucifer faltered, blinking up at Chloe to see the rage boiling in her eyes. "I didn't think you'd–"

"Damn right, you didn't think!" Chloe shouted. "You didn't think that _maybe_ , just _maybe_ , I might want you to be around as I went through an existential _meltdown_?"

"Why would you want me around?" Lucifer asked, his brow furrowed in complete confusion. "You know now. You know who I really am. Why would you want me to stay?"

"Because you're my best friend and my partner and the only _fucking_ person who could explain it all to me?!" Chloe raged, standing up and beginning to pace. "I had all these questions and suddenly the world was so much bigger and the one person, the _one_ person, I could always depend on to have my back and help make sense of it all up and left me without so much as a _sorry for scaring the ever-living-shit out of you, have a nice life!_ "

"You… you still…" Lucifer marvelled up at the woman as if she'd just sprouted a pair of her own angelic wings. "You still want to be my friend?"

Chloe groaned loudly and pulled at her hair before taking a deep breath and sighing heavily.

"Look." She said, her voice slightly more calm. "I'm pissed at you. I can't even begin to tell you how angry I am. I don't even think there are words for it. But, after you left me for _months_ to stew in my own thoughts, the one thing I did realise is that you never did lie to me. Not completely. You always told me who you were from the very start. Sure, you could have proven it to me, so that's part of why I'm angry, but you never lied about it. So I shouldn't have been so freaking surprised when what you've been saying for almost three years turned out to be true after all the crap I've seen."

"And…" Lucifer dared to tempt fate. "And what truth would that would be?"

Chloe turned her eyes on him and glared for a moment before biting out the next words.

"You're the Devil."

"I am." Lucifer nodded solemnly.

"So what changed?" Chloe asked. "You've been telling me for years and now that I know it's true, you bolt. I don't get it."

"Do you not remember what you saw?" Lucifer asked, blinking in disbelief. "I'm a monster. Who would want _that_ in their lives?"

"Cut the crap, Lucifer." Chloe snapped and Lucifer was almost sure she was about to strike him again. "You and I both know that I was ready to deal with your delusional, mentally unstable ways long before I found out you weren't even human. If you _were_ human, you would have been considered insane, but I was still willing to take that chance. Now I find out that you're actually _not_ crazy and you think that's a _bad_ thing?"

"Isn't it?" Lucifer asked and Chloe let out a humourless chuckle.

"No! No it isn't!" She shouted, groaning again and dropping onto the bed across from him in a huff. "God, you drive me crazy, sometimes. And no, I'm not talking about your dad which is fucking nuts, by the way."

"It is a bit much." Lucifer said softly, a small, almost invisible smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"God is real. The Devil is my partner and… whatever. My roommate is a demon and my ex-husband is best friends with an angel." Chloe sighed, falling back on the bed to look up the ceiling. "I don't even know what is real anymore."

"It's all real. To a degree." Lucifer provided. "Angels, demons, Heaven, Hell… me. That's all real."  


"Should I be weary of vampires and werwolves?" Chloe chuckled, though it was a dark, empty laugh.

"No. They won't ever bother the mortal realm as it is." Lucifer said and Chloe said up in shock.

"Seriously?" She asked, dumbfounded for a moment.

"Yes. Vampires are real and so are werewolves, but they are absolutely nothing like pop culture would have you believe."

"Sort of like how everyone has us believing the devil has horns and a tail and is absolutely evil?" Chloe said and there was a teeny, tiny hint of a smirk on her lips.

"Precisely. Well, the horns and a tail bit. I don't have those." Lucifer said. "The evil part is debatable."

"Ugh, you're not evil, Lucifer." Chloe groaned. "You're brash, an asshole, and sometimes an absolute fucking idiot, but I'm sure of one thing. You are _not_ evil."

Lucifer didn't have a response for that. He just openly gaped at the woman across from him. He could feel a prickling at the corner of his eyes and had to blink rapidly to chase it away.

"Detective–"

"You're not, okay?" Chloe sighed, pulling herself up to sit crisscross style on the bed and stare at the man across from her. "You aren't anything like the stories claim. You're kind and your heart is almost always in the right place. Mind you, that doesn't mean I'm not still absolutely _bullshit_  at you for abandoning me, but I know you by now. You don't deal with stress and anxiety like the rest of us. I'm pretty sure you don't know how to deal with most emotions. Knowing who… what… you are explains a whole hell of a lot of your behaviour. No pun intended."

That actually got a genuine, yet still small, smile out of the Devil.

"I… thank you." Lucifer said, feeling a bit of weight lifted off his heart.

"I haven't forgiven you yet. Not by a long shot." Chloe said, her face going stern again, but Lucifer didn't care.

"That's fine. I can earn your forgiveness. Hopefully. Right now I'm just glad you're not terrified of me. The look on your face when you saw my… my nastier side…" Lucifer said before trailing off, the memory of the fear in Chloe's eyes still fresh.

"Show me again." Chloe prompted, pulling Lucifer's attention back to her.

"What?" Lucifer asked because he was sure that he'd clearly misheard her.

"Show me again." Chloe repeated and Lucifer shook his head.

"No. No, once is enough. You honestly shouldn't have seen it at all. Not like that, anyway. I didn't even know I'd changed until it was too late. No one as good as you deserves to bear that burden twice."

"It's just a face." Chloe said, eyes intent. "And I think I'd like to take my time to get used to it this time instead of having it popped on me like some sort of a boogieman in a haunted house."

"I'd really rather not." Lucifer protested but Chloe shook her head.

"Either you show me or we're done here." Chloe said, her eyes growing hard. "You promised me after everything was finished with Marcus that there would be no more hiding. Are you going to break your word even more than you already have?"

"I…" Lucifer tried to protest, but she was right. He had promised. "Alright, detective, but please… don't… don't run…"

"I won't. I know what I'm looking at now." Chloe said, shifting herself over the edge of the bed so that she could sit practically knee-to-knee with him.

Sighing, Lucifer closed his eyes.

"As you wish." He said and he let his body shift. There was no audible clue that Chloe had acknowledged the change so, after a long moment, he opened his eyes to find her leaning close enough to him to startle him a bit. "What are you–"

"Does it hurt?" Chloe asked, her eyes narrowed as she took in each and every feature.

"N-no. Not really. Not anymore." Lucifer said, his voice the barest of whispers. How was she so calm?

"Can I… Would you mind if…?" Chloe asked as she gently reached out with one hand. All Lucifer could do was nod slightly as he was too dumbstruck to speak. Any further protest was lost once the soft tips of her fingers gently… _oh so gently_ … touched his cheek.

"You're skin is smoother than I expected. Warmer too." She commented, but Lucifer remained silent. She was looking at every bit of him. Every bump, scar, and sinew that made up his features before looking him dead in the eye.

"Chloe…" Lucifer breathed out as she continued to slowly trace her fingers over his burns.

"Third degree burns, right?" She asked and Lucifer couldn't even bring himself to nod. "Hey? Hello?"

Lucifer blinked a few times and then cleared his throat before he pulled away, his face shifting back into his normal, familiar angelic countenance.

"Erm, yes." Lucifer said, though he wasn't sure he'd spoke loud enough to be heard.

"Why do your eyes glow?" Chloe asked and Lucifer couldn't believe he was even having this conversation. His head started to spin and his limbs began to tremble slightly.

"Um… when I… when I fell… I was… erm… _infused?_ I guess… with Hell's power? I don't know. They didn't start out that way." Lucifer said, all of his usual veracity gone as he stumbled his way through his explanation. "The longer I ruled, the more… um… powerful I became. It's all rather difficult to explain."

"Okay." Chloe nodded, having leaned back when Lucifer had turned back into his usual self. "And that's what you show perps to scare them?"

"Sometimes." Lucifer said. "Sometimes it's just the eyes. Really anything supernatural knocks most humans off kilter."

"Tell me about it." Chloe smirked and this time, this time there was a touch of humour in it. "Which leads me to ask… wings?"

"Uh, yeah. I have those too." Lucifer nodded.

"Well?" Chloe gestured to the room. "I've seen the scary bits and survived. Time to show me the rest."

"You… uh, okay." Lucifer nodded, still completely baffled that she was taking all this in so well. "I suppose you deserve a view of the divine after being so recklessly exposed to the infernal."

"You're damn right, I do." Chloe said with a firm nod. "So spread 'em."

Those words brought Lucifer back to his centre. The trembling stopped and his brain finally focussed as he felt something familiar inside him respond to her words.

"Why, detective. If I had known." He said, waggling his eyebrows at her which earned a real, genuine smile from Chloe. One with teeth. One that was achingly normal and something he desired to see for the rest of his immortal life.

"Oh, shut up. I'm still mad at you." Chloe said, scoffing at his words, but even he could tell that it was half-hearted.

"They are rather large, so… just be prepared." Lucifer proffered before taking a breath and rolling his shoulders. His wings slowly unfurled, taking up most of the space behind him and this time Chloe did gasp.

"Oh my G–…" She began but quickly cut herself off. Lucifer, for all he was worth, couldn't help but feel a little thankful she's censored herself. He didn't know if it was for him or from the fear of knowing that his father might actually hear them, but he didn't care. It was a nice gesture nonetheless.

"They are a bit unkempt. I haven't been grooming them properly since coming to Boston, so please disregard their slightly ratty appearance." Lucifer commented as he reached out to gently and fussily adjust some of his slightly puffier and bent flight feathers.

"Lucifer…" Chloe breathed softly. "They aren't… they are… they're _beautiful_."

As much as he _hated_  them, hearing Chloe compliment his wings sparked a bit of pride in his chest and the feathers outwardly splayed a bit in a preening fashion.

"Thank you." Was all he could say before Chloe was once again moving closer. This time he didn't hesitate. He slowly curled a wing around himself and held it out for her. "Go ahead. Just make sure you move in downward strokes. They can be quite sharp."

Chloe clearly didn't need to be convince because her hand immediately reached out to gently caress a palm over the feathers from arch to the tip of the wing in front of her. The effect of the touch had an instant effect on Lucifer as his muscles relaxed and his entire posture softened from it's endlessly tense state since the conversation began.

Chloe worked her fingers between feathers and winced before slowly separating the fluff out of the way to find what looked like small, bumped scars.

"Lucifer, what are these?" She asked, her voice slightly distant.

"Oh, yeah. Those haven't quite healed up completely yet. Finicky things, bullet wounds." Lucifer explained and Chloe's eyes darted from where they were focussed on feathers to Lucifer's eyes. She searched there for a moment before taking in a deep breath.

"Marcus." She said and Lucifer started to speak but she spoke right over him. "I remember… I know I was out of it… but I remember… I remember so much white and… you screaming… oh _God_ … Lucifer, what did you do?"

Lucifer had the wherewithal to look bashful as he pulled away from Chloe slightly.

"After Cain… erm Marcus… shot you. He told the rest of his goons to finish us off." Lucifer said. "It was really the only option I had. I wasn't going to let them kill you."

"You… you…" Chloe clearly couldn't find the words so Lucifer continued.

"I used my wings to protect us. They took a beating, but I was able to fly us out during the reload." Lucifer said, a soft, innocent smile on his lips. "Once I got you to safety and knew you were okay, I returned to finish the job."

"Lucifer…" Chloe said, shaking her head. "How many bullets?"

"I don't know. I few dozen." Lucifer said with a half-shrug, his right wing following the movement of his shoulder. "It didn't matter. You were safe."

"You could have died." Chloe said and Lucifer chuckled.

"Wouldn't have been the first time." He said off-handedly and Chloe's eyes widened.

"Malcom." She stated and Lucifer knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Unfortunately." He nodded. "But I really did get better, thanks to a deal I made with my dad."

"Jesus, there is so much you need to fill me in on." Chloe groaned before holding up a hand. "But all that can wait. Right now, I think it's best we focus on this case and clearing your name. Which leads me to ask again, and I'm serious, did you have anything to do with those killings?"

Lucifer blinked for a moment at the quick change of subject before rolling his shoulders and tucking away his wings.

"You have my word that I had nothing to do with the deaths of Happy or Kevin and it is my desire to bring the monster to justice who brought their lives to an early end." Lucifer said, his voice darkly serious.

"I believe you. But there is more to this, isn't there?" Chloe asked and Lucifer felt the final wash of relief caress his body. She believed him and she was going to listen. That was more than he could have every asked for.

"The woman… she's like me… but not." Lucifer said before launching into a much more detailed account of what had happened. He told Chloe about the strange power the woman had and the terrifying grip it had over her victims. "I've only felt something like that once in my life and it was eons ago."

"When?" Chloe asked and Lucifer sighed.

"I won't get too much into it, but there are more than just your run-of-the-mill creatures out there. There are other gods and beings with power. There is this one particular group known as The Endless. Dream, Desire, Destiny, Destruction, Death, Delirium, and Despair. Despair has the same power. Sort of. Being around her is like… well it's like a dementor sucking all hope out of you."

"Did you just make a Harry Potter reference?" Chloe asked, her nose scrunched up a bit.

"It's a wonderful series." Lucifer said, obviously a bit offended that anyone would think otherwise. "But that's beside the point. They don't usually mess too much with the mortal realm, content to live in the other dimensions. Dream, for instance, rarely comes here at all. He enjoys his dream realm and learns about humans through his own means. Desire and I have an… interesting relationship, as I was given abilities similar to theirs. But, for the most part, they keep to themselves as Dad is much more powerful than them."

"So you don't think it's this Despair creature?" Chloe asked, clearly trying her best to follow along.

"No. I'd recognise her. This woman was just that. A woman. A regular human." Lucifer said, shaking his head and running his hand through the mop of curls on his head. He really should put himself together now that he was back with his friends. He was completely sure he still looked a right mess. "I could sense her soul. She was mortal. I think."

"So, you're just as out of your depth as we are." Chloe stated and Lucifer nodded.

"Unfortunately." He said. "Though we are a bit ahead of the curve, as it were."

"It's a start, I guess." Chloe sighed and stood before tossing the key Dan had left for Lucifer for the Devil to catch. "Why don't you go clean yourself up. Hopefully Ella will make some headway and we'll get some more info. I'll do some research on our victims to see what I can find out."

"Alright." Lucifer nodded, standing and pocketing the key before heading to the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle, wondering if he should push his luck.

The entire change he and the detective had shared had gone much better than he could have ever anticipated, but he wasn't sure if he should push her.

"Detective?" He prompted, slowly turning to look at her to find he still had her attention as she pulled out her laptop to begin working. "Chloe?"

"Yeah?" She responded, watching him with a much more open and shockingly less angry expression than she had earlier.

"Are we… are we going to be okay?" He asked, inwardly hating himself for sounding so vulnerable and childish.

Chloe remained silent for a moment before giving him a nod.

"I think we will be." Chloe said, her expression thoughtful. "It's going to take time and I still don't know half of what to believe of not, but I think we can work through this. I truly believe that."

"You have my word, that I will always tell you the truth. No more hiding. No more omissions." Lucifer said, making sure his eyes were locked with hers as he spoke. "As I've said, you're the last person I ever want to lie to. If you're amenable, I'd like to invite you to dinner at Lux when all this is over. I'll explain everything and answer any questions you might have. You have my word."

"I believe you and I may take you up on that." Chloe said, giving Lucifer a small smile. "I'm still pissed off at you for leaving like you did."

"As you are entitled." Lucifer nodded. "And I will do my best to make it up to you in any way you see fit."

"Any way?" Chloe said and Lucifer was absolutely thrilled to hear a hint of tease in her voice.

"That has always been an option since you walked into my life." Lucifer grinned.

"Oh? You'll take Trixie to the zoo then?" Chloe grinned.

"You minx." Lucifer smiled, rolling his eyes.

"Go shower. You smell like a hippie on tour." Chloe laughed, waving him off and Lucifer could help the small bounce in his step as he left and made his way back to the room he was presumably now sharing with Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of dialogue in this one, but I really needed to get Chloe's problems out of the way. This fic is going to be more case-centric, but there is definitely going to be Deckerstar, even though it's not the focus. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've been incredibly sick and in and out of hospital for the past month so, now that I'm feeling better, I've buckled down with a glass of wine and pumped out this latest chapter.
> 
> Let me know if you guys like the lore stuff, because I might sprinkle more of that in throughout later chapters.
> 
> For those of you wondering who's watching Trixie, Maze is making up for her awful behaviour. :)
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think! <3


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